Last week I received my new favourite prop- a white ostrich feather fan.
I've been obsessed with acquiring one since falling in love with the film The Lady Eve a couple of years ago. If you've never had the pleasure of seeing this film, a screwball classic written and directed by the great Preston Sturges and starring the great Barbara Stanwyck, I highly recommend watching it.
In a pivotal scene, Stanwyck's character carries a similar ostrich feather fan. To save from writing a lengthy analysis of the film, click here to link to the introduction Peter Bogdanovich gave for the film on TCM's Essentials program several years ago (the entire film used to be available on You Tube, but has since been removed). In the first couple of clips with Stanwyck in the white dress feature the aforementioned fan.
What Bogdanovich fails to mention about the film, the most appealing quality in my mind in fact, is the empowered nature of Stanwyck's character. She is always the smartest person in the room and is a fascinating blend of calculated vixen and soft-hearted romantic- my favourite female character in all of cinema.
If you love The Lady Eve as much as I do, or would like to recreate the fan scene, I have the fan to do so.
Here's the trailer if you've never even heard of the film:
